FRIDAY UPDATES: Two more COVID-19 cases reported in Callaway County
COVID-19 case numbers might differ among state and local health authorities because of issues with reporting and address verification.
UPDATE 5:20 P.M.: Callaway County reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing its total to 22.
The two new cases are the first reported in the county in nearly two weeks. The county's last new case of novel coronavirus was reported on April 19. Only five of the cases are active infections, the county reported.
Columbia parks and recreation facility reopening
The city of Columbia said Friday that a major recreation facility will open Monday with social distancing limits in place.
The Activity and Recreation Center on Ash Street will reopen at 5:30 a.m. Workout areas will be open but the indoor pool will not. Occupancy limits will also be enforced, the city says. Those entering the ARC will have to provide name and contact information. Basketball courts will remain closed.
Outdoor tennis and pickle ball courts will also reopen.
The city also said its hazardous waste collection program has been canceled for May because of COVID-19.
UPDATE 4:30 P.M.: Boone County recorded two more cases of COVID-19 on Friday, according to totals posted by local health authorities.
The Columbia/Boone County Health Department reported 96 cases of novel coronavirus Friday, up from 94 on Thursday. Of those cases, 90 people have been released from isolation after recovering from COVID-19.
The county's case growth has slowed in recent weeks, but the two additional cases Friday make three new cases in two days.
Boone County's health director signed a reopening order Thursday that will go into effect Monday. The order includes some limitations that are more strict than a state reopening order taking effect the same day.
Boone County's order prevents some types of businesses including bars and movie theaters from reopening Monday. It also places occupancy limits on buildings based on their floor size.
Cole County reported no new cases Friday. The county reported 51 COVID-19 cases, with 48 of those patients having recovered.
UPDATE 4:15 P.M.: A Mid-Missouri COVID-19 hot spot decided Friday to keep a stay-at-home order in place through May 10.
The end of the COVID-19 "mitigation order" on May 10 will be followed by a phased reopening of businesses, the Saline County Health Department said on its Facebook page.
Restaurants will have to have COVID-19 inspections between May 11-May 15 and will be able to reopen dining areas May 16, the department said.
Saline County, with a population a little more than 20,000, has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the state, with more than 190 confirmed cases. Those cases include outbreaks at two meat processing plants.
UPDATE 2:20 P.M.: Nearly 300 workers at a northwestern Missouri pork processing plant have now tested positive for the coronavirus, the latest of several meat plants around the country to see huge spikes in confirmed cases of the virus.
Missouri's health department oversaw testing this week of more than 2,300 asymptomatic workers at the Triumph Foods plant in St. Joseph. State health director Dr. Randall Williams says that results for the first 1,625 asymptomatic workers showed that 259 tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, The Associated Press reported.
Thirty-six others previously tested positive.
UPDATE 2:03 P.M.: The state health department said Friday that Missouri added new COVID-19 cases and virus-related deaths as the state's stay-at-home order is set to expire after the weekend.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Service's website, 7,835 people have tested positive for novel coronavirus and 337 have died from the virus.
At least, 273 more people have tested positive and eight more people have died since Thursday.
It's the highest daily COVID-19 case increase since April 23. Daily increases had averaged about 141 cases over the past week, Friday's was nearly double that average.
The St. Louis area continues to be the hardest hit in the state with 3,151 cases confirmed in St. Louis County and 1,105 cases in St. Louis City.
St. Charles County sits at 577 COVID-19 cases, Kansas City reported 578 cases, according to health department data.
UPDATE 1:16 P.M.: Boone Hospital Center said Friday that it will reopen some of its services on Monday.
According to a news release, the hospital will start phasing in some non-emergency services and procedures that had to be rescheduled because of COVID-19.
Boone Hospital officials said all patients coming in for a surgical procedure will be tested for novel coronavirus. The release added all in-person visits will be screened first over the phone for respiratory issues -- they will be screened again upon entering the facility.
Patients going in for outpatient surgery and other non-emergent procedures can enter through the outpatient tower entrance. The hospital said all other patients should use the main entrance.
The hospital's no visitor policy, social distancing measures and other COVID-19 related policies are in place until further notice, hospital officials said.
UPDATE 11:35 A.M.: The town of Eureka won't stray from St. Louis County's stay-at-home order after all, The Associated Press reported.
Eureka Mayor Sean Flower said that based on feedback and discussions in the community, he has dropped his plan that would have allowed businesses to reopen starting Monday, in accordance with Gov. Mike Parson's statewide reopening. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page's order remains in place through mid-May, as does St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's order.
More than half of the state's 7,562 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, have occurred in St. Louis city and county, along with about two-thirds of Missouri's 329 deaths.
UPDATE 10:42 A.M.: The Saline County Health Department is expected to make a decision on the county's coronavirus order.
A Facebook post from the health department said the verdict will come down at 3 p.m. on Friday.
The statewide stay-at-home order expires by Monday morning, social distancing guidelines will still be in place as Missouri moves through the reopening process.
Health department workers said yesterday that 192 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the county.
The health department said there are 121 active cases and 71 others have recovered.
The county has added at least 69 coronavirus cases in the past week.
ORIGINAL: Miller County leaders rescinded their countywide stay-at-home order as the state prepares to reopen on Monday, May 4.
A Facebook post from the Miller County Health Center said the county's order expired just before midnight on Thursday.
The health center said county restaurants can now open for dine-in services. Health workers said the eateries can only have 10 people inside, which includes employees and patrons, and social distancing guidelines need to be in place.
Miller County had one resident test positive for COVID-19 in mid-April. The health center said the person has since recovered.
Chariton and Cole counties have recently removed their countywide orders.
On Thursday, Moniteau County commissioners adopted and extended the state's COVID-19 order through May 10.
